John T. Gibson

John Trusty Gibson (February 4, 1878 – June 17, 1937[1]) was an African-American businessman, theatrical producer and manager and real estate investor, who was one of the pioneers of black entertainment in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He initially worked in various odd jobs, and had stints peddling meat and caning chairs, before moving into the theatrical world in 1910, when Samuel Reading hired him as a partner in his movie and Vaudeville theatre, The North Pole.

[6] The theatre thrived, with Gibson booking the likes of Bylow and Ashes, singers Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, Erma C. Miller's "Brown Skinned Models" (known as the "Black Rockettes"), and jazz bands led by the likes of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

[3] On 24 July 1922, Billboard announced that Gibson had been appointed the vice president of the Managers and Performers vaudeville circuit.

[1] Despite his wealth and the success, Gibson was ruined by The Great Depression at the end of the 1920s, and was forced to sell both the Standard and Dunbar theatres, which later became cinemas.